Next Generation (Part Two)

Part 5

"I'll explain everything to you when you're-"

"No, stop. I don't need to know. I don't need you in my life at all. It's fine how it is, or was." I stood up.

"Please leave me alone. Sorry." I walked away and grabbed my jacket. "Hey, Iris!" I heard mom call me, but I was already through the door.

I couldn't hear her anymore and walked along the rainy road. It was raining and the only place I knew, was Heath's house. I've been there already once or twice. Mom said he would be staying at a friend's, maybe he's there.

The last time I was there I wondered why there was so less stuff. Now I know why.

After a half hour I reached the small house at the forest end. I was freezing outside while I waited for someone to open the door, after I rang the bell. To my surprise Dallas opened. I totally forgot that he was living there too. "I'm sorry, but is Connor here?" Confused shook he his head, and I sighed. For a while he looked at me and made a gesture for me to come in. He searched something and came back with a small white board.

"Are you alright?"

I guess he noticed that I was still a bit beside me. "Stuff happened. I thought Connor was here, so sorry if I'm disturbing you." He shook his head and showed me some gesture with his hand where his last two fingers were rolled in and the others looked like he wanted to crush something. He noticed my confusion and took the white board.

"That means *no*."

He then put his thump on his chin and moved it forward, and then his hands looked like they were trying to hit a fly.

"That means *don't worry*."

Thinking about it, it's really difficult. It's like a new language, just even more complicated because you have to remember the signs. He moved his hand to his mouth and even I understood what he meant. "Yes please." I sat down on the sofa standing in the middle of the room facing the TV.

After a few minutes ha came back with two cups of coffee, and sat beside me. He handed me another paper.

"Did something happen?"

I nodded. "Just a small family fight. Nothing to worry about." I was shacking while I said so, although I did, I was really nervous about the whole situation. There was no noise for a short time, just cars driving outside.

As I heard a starching noise I turned to where it came from and found another paper in front of me.

"You can stay here tonight. Heath has gone out anyway."

He sat leaned back drinking coffee next to me. I nodded again. "Thank you." We just sat there saying nothing, or writing nothing until I asked, "Why are you so nice to me? We just met a few hours ago." I couldn't quite understand it. Of course I was grateful, but I wouldn't offer my home so easily.

He leaned forward to the paper and wrote again.

"Basically you're a friend of my cousin, so I guess that means we're friends too."

I chuckled at his answer. "Alright then, friend." I smiled.

A while later he brought me a book. 'Sign Language'. It was a rather thick book, about 800 pages. There were a lot of different types of sign language in there. I didn't know how to call them so I said, the Letter signs and the word signs. Dallas mostly used the word signs.

Letter signs are the ones where you spell the word with your fingers and hand.

Word signs are the ones where you do a specific movement with your hands.

Until late in the night we watched a movie because he kind of didn't want to leave me alone, although he fell asleep on the sofa. Because I didn't know if I should sleep there too, or in one of the beds, I also stayed outside.

But as I woke up Dallas was gone, or at least not on the sofa anymore. Because I had no change with me, I continued to wear the clothes from the day before.

Thinking about the current situation I had to think about a story Dad told me, how they came together in high school. That she also slept with him on the sofa. But this feels different.

I couldn't find Dallas, and it was already time for school, thankful it was Friday. I walked out of the house and closed the door normally. There was no key or anything to lock the door with, with a bad feeling I went to school. With bit luck I didn't need my stuff that much.

I barely made it to school before the bell rang.

Everyone was already being in the classroom. Everyone but Dallas. I sighed and sat down; short after I was sitting already, our teacher came in. She greeted us and the first question coming from a girl was where Dallas was.

"He is in the infirmary; it seems he had some kind of trouble. Oh and Iris please go also to the infirmary, you're next to his brother a trustworthy contact to him." Still a bit confused I nodded and walked out of the classroom straight to the infirmary.

I knocked on the door and entered. Dallas sat without shirt on the sick bed while the nurse looked at his wounds. He had all over his body bruises and some parts been even blue. It looked horrible, shocked I walked over. "When did this happen?!" I whisper shouted. I was with him yesterday, he was totally fine. Why is he now beaten up? "Who did this?"

He just shook his head. I growled. I wanted to turn and talk to heath. Although he hasn't come home last night he must know what happened. But I couldn't go further than a few steps because he held my wrist. I sighed and stayed next to him.

"The bruises aren't that bad, although you lost blood you just have a few contusions. But you should stay away from PE for a while." She smiled.

"You can lay down and rest. Iris would you be so kind and stay with him, if something happens alright?" I nodded and sat beside him.

"I'll be returning next break, if you're feeling better you can go on normally, but if you feel sick then you can go home. Iris if that's the case help him home okay? I already dismissed you for today." With that she left the room.

"You alright?" he nodded. I knew he lied; he didn't look fine at all. I didn't know what to do else so I grabbed his hand and squeezed it tight.

"You're going to be soon." We weren't that tight but it seems I was the only one around he had. It felt strange. Knowing a person just a day and the helping them to get well by holding hands. I wasn't a doctor so it was the only thing I could do. I felt so useless.